Improved services ongoing goal: Cormier

In Ward 10, current councillor Fern Cormier will face off against Steve Ripley and Denis Ferron to remain the ward representative. Ward 10 is a largely urban ward that includes Lockerby, Lo-Ellen, the university area, Kingsmount, Bell Park and downtown (south of Elm Street).

Why are you running for re-election?

It has been a great honour to serve the residents of Ward 10 this past term. I want to continue to leverage my experience and skills in order to continue implementing the improved city services our citizens want and expect.

What are you most proud of during your last term on council?

There are so many improvements in Ward 10 to be proud of: affordable housing for seniors; the Ramsey Lake watershed study; continued improvements and accessibility enhancements for Bell Park; improved pedestrian and cycle infrastructure; the user-friendly transit system, which will provide the best level of service in our city’s history, just to name a few.

Of course, many investments have been made to improve our downtown, including the Place des Arts, the green stairs project and the rebuild of the Riverside underpass.

I am excited by the prospect and proposals for the new library, Art Gallery of Sudbury and performance centre. The potential of these projects could be truly transformative for our downtown. It’s a good start to redeveloping our downtown into an attractive and vibrant area. On the operational end, I am proud to continue to work on the improvement of our infrastructure and was instrumental in decreasing the red tape that developers had been facing at city hall.

In your opinion, what are the most pressing issues that still need to be tackled?

While we have made progress on our infrastructure issues by putting in place a new longer-term management plan, as well as increased funding, we can’t stop there. We need to make sure we see current and future projects carried out in a best practices way. I have asked for and received support for ongoing reviews of everything from our tendering and contract processes to having staff explore new technologies and methods when it comes to road repairs. While increasing the roads budget is a positive necessity, we also need to make sure we get best value for our tax dollars on these projects.

What is an acceptable tax increase? How will you achieve that?

Ideally we should aim for the rate of inflation in order to meet the needs and demands of the services we provide. I know people understand the need for taxes but what most want to see is that tax dollars are being managed as effectively and efficiently as possible. This is something I keep in mind on every decision that I make. People want to see value for their tax dollars and I understand that.

What is your position on the Kingsway Entertainment District?

My preference and my vote were to locate the new entertainment centre in the downtown. I respect the will of council and while the vote was not what I wanted, I understand the process. I also respect the process that allows the public to have their say on the issue. The legal procedure with respect to this matter is being followed and that is an important part of decisions such as this one.

Talk a little about your ward and the priorities in your area.

Ward 10 is a very diverse ward and has the highest population of all the wards.

Because Ward 10 includes so many high-traffic and visible destination spots, it is important to me that we maintain our public spaces to the highest standard possible.

We have made great progress in improving many of our neighbourhood areas within the ward through enhancements to our parks and public spaces, but of course there is always more to do.

Improving our transportation network and including pedestrian- and cycle-friendly amenities will continue to be a priority. Good progress has been made in this regard and I look forward to seeing further improvements in the future.

How would you promote new economic development and residential growth in your ward?

On the residential growth side of things we have seen growth in this area, especially with the new affordable housing options that are coming on line.

As chair of the planning committee, I made it a point to work with planning and building controls staff to identify ways to streamline the development approvals process.

I have also championed new technologies, such as land-management planning systems that will allow individuals and developers to more easily navigate their projects through the approvals processes. This system will also give city staff the ability to be more efficient. My work on this committee also led to the creation of the Sudbury Planning Application Review Team. This initiative allows applicants to meet directly with planning and other staff in order to advance their development projects in a more efficient way.

While chair of the planning committee, I also met with many developers and took the opportunity to encourage and strengthen environmental protection requirements, especially when building in environmentally sensitive areas.

How do you like to spend your downtime?

I enjoy spending what time I can with family and friends, and I try to stay physically active. I enjoy cycling and walking the many trails and paths we have throughout the city whenever I can.

Tell us about someone who has inspired you in your life.

My mother was the biggest inspiration throughout my life. Unfortunately, she passed away this summer. As a social worker, she helped countless people through some very tough times and instilled in each of her children these values of public service. She was kind and caring, and always willing to help others.

What are you reading right now?

I have just finished reading Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari. It is an interesting read about human history that takes the reader through an account of our time from apes to rulers of the world as a species. It “challenges everything we thought we knew about being human: our beliefs, our actions, our power and our future.”